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Forces & FURY
SLEEPY LIZARD
GOSH
VAST HILL
MONSOON MOON
ISSUE 7 | 2019 VOLUME 2
2Photo © Hisu Lee | Unsplash
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R E D B I L B Y D E S I G N
DESIGN
Tracey EdgellCreative designer/photographer
Martha NealeEditor
EDITORIAL
Cheryl LittleFeatureWriter/Photographer
Cary AriBehavioural Coach/Coolest Nerd
MAGAZINE LAYOUT& WEBSITE
Red Bilbywww.redbilby.com.au
Ingrid Seger-WoznickiCEO
Website www.hashtagoz.com.au
Questions/[email protected]
G’day peeps,How do you start your day?
How do you start your morning?
Do you stumble out of bed and make yourself a coffee? Or do you jump into the shower immediately? Or do you prefer to wake up slowly, laying in bed ignoring your alarm until the last minute and then it’s a mad dash to get ready?
Research reveals, that the best morning routines start the day before, just before bedtime. This means any big decisions and to-do lists should be arranged the day before whilst the morning is best left to focus on creating the day you want to experience, along with practising gratitude.
So, what’s your morning routine like? Or do you need to start a morning routine?
Accept our challenge for the month of August and start a morning routine and see how different you experience your days.
Let us know how you did and whether you benefitted from a morning routine.
Have a great and wonderful August!
Hashtag Oz Publishing Pty LtdABN 746 250 564 11Telephone 0418 565 515
Advertising [email protected]
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contentsI S S U E 7 - 2 0 1 9 | V O L UM E 2
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FRONT COVERBaynk
Photography Tracey Edgell
MUSICBaynk New Zealand
Producer/Songwriter | 5-7
Forces and FuryAustralian band fromSydney | 10-11
Sleepy LizardAustralian band fromAdelaide | 12-13
GoshAustralian band fromWollongong | 16-17
Vast HillSydney Duo | 18-19
Monsoon MoonSinger/Songwriter fromPerth Western Australia
| 20-22
REGULAR FEATURESKnow Your Values Series
Gratitude | 24-25
- Cheryl Little
YOUTUBE
Baynk, ‘go with u’ |8
Forces & Fury |11
Sleepy Lizard,Can’t Help It, |13
Gosh,Say Another Thing |16
Vast Hill,Oblivion, |19
Monsoon Moon,Just Friends |22
HELPLINES
beyondblue 1300 22 4636
The Brave Program | 27
The Butterfly Foundation1800 33 4673
The Aaron Foundation
theaaronfoundation.com
BAYNK, born Jock Nowell-Usticke, has released his
highly anticipated sophomoreEP, ‘Someone’s EP II’.
The EP is a seven-trackcollection showcasing his
pristine electronicproduction and innovative
crafting of sounds, andfeatures internationaltalents including Sinéad
Harnett, Glades, Martin LukeBrown and Hablot Brown.
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NEW ALBUM
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Hashtag Oz caught up with Baynk at The Howler in Melbourne on July 4th.
Thank you for being a part of Hashtag Oz.
Thank you for having me!
Our resarch reveals that you seemingly stumbled onto musical success after you uploaded your single, ‘Sundae’ toSoundCloud, which was discovered by Hillydilly in 2016. Isthat really how it all began? Or is there more to your musical success? How would you describe your musical journey so far?
It was a stumble. I had no plan as to how to attack the music industry or get my foot in the door. I just made a lot of music for a year and then put that one song out and then gave up. The song got found by bloggers about five months later while I was backpacking.
Of course, there is more to the story. I’ve had music in my life since I was very young. I played classical piano as a kid, and the saxophone, I was also in a band, etc. But I only found out about music production in my final year of university. I never shone at any particular instrument, but the production software really interested me and the passion I had for it is, I think, the real reason for any success I’ve had.
Tell us the story behind your stage name, BAYNK?
It was a shower thought. Very uninteresting unfortunately.
It seems you were initially planning to pursue a chemical engineering career. How does it feel moving from engineering to achieving a meteoric rise musically in a short period of time? How has your life been affected by this huge career change?
That was the initial plan, but I don’t think I ever would’ve made a very good chemical engineer, my heartjust wasn’t in it.
I’m so glad people like my music. It feels great. I’d still be making it either way whether they listened or not, but it doesgive me a little more motivation to sit down and create when I know there’s someone on the other end to enjoy it.
Sometimes I miss having a schedule but it’s very short-lived.
PHOTOGRAPHY : TRACEY EDGELL PHOTOGRAPHY : TRACEY EDGELL
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Congratulations on the release of your EP, Someone’s EP II and your single, ‘go with u’. Someone’s is your second EP under the same name. It’s been hailed as inventive and forward-thinking and collaborative (Hablot Brown and Martin Luke Brown) and includes some previously released cuts with the addition of four new tracks that reveal a deeper production and greater song writing versatility. Did you find that with the collaborative element of Someone’s EP II you were able to explore greater engagement of ideas, take advantage of each other’s strengths, accelerating inspiration, etc?What was the best memory from the process of working on this album? And how did you grow from it as a musician?
As time has passed, I’ve learnt to trust myself more. I wasn’t sure of myability or skill in the early days and I was very self-conscious when itcame to working with other people. It can be embarrassing to tryand write lyrics that have personal meaning with people thatyou’ve just met, and it takes some time to get your head aroundit. It’s also a taste thing. The more music one creates and evenlistens to, the more your taste gets refined to the point whereyou know better what you want, and what you think otherpeople might like to hear. I’ve become more sensitive tothe elements in the songs. It’s not just throwing stuff atthe wall and seeing what sticks. The best memories areabout the time spent with friends on tour and timespent with loved ones, that’s where the inspirationcame from and the music wouldn’t exist without it.
You have been touring since 25 May and from Julyto September you are on an incredibly tight schedule. For us peasants, tell us the preparation behind touring? What goes on behind the scenes? What’s your favourite part, and the most challenging part, of touring?
Ha ha, the great unwashed masses. OkayI’ll break it down for you. The bigger showsand headline tours take a month or two ofpreparation to source all the equipment, to creativelydirect the stage production, and to plan the musicaljourney of the show.
The real practice for me as a one man show takesplace the week before the tour starts. I’ll startpracticing the songs I’ve chosen to sing, playingsaxophone where I see fit, and programming allthe visuals and lights that we’ve put together. Ihave a close collaborator, Spencer Graves, whoalong with visual artist, Tess Bjiere, make thecontent for the visual show, but then I’ll gothrough every second of the show and programwhen lights turn off and on, and when videos play,and if/when there’s any effects on those videos. It’sa slog but it’s so rewarding when it all comes together.
The best part of touring is socializing and spending timewith friends, I always try to take as many of my friends onthe road with me as possible otherwise I’d find it quitelonely, I think. The most challenging part is being alone atthose times when there’s no one else around.
Thanks for your time Baynk.
To catch Baynk live in U.S.A jump on www.baynk.me and get your tickets today.
P H O T O G R A P H Y : T R A C E Y E D G E L L
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Hashtag Oz is passionate about mental healthawareness. For up and coming singers, song writersand musicians what three pieces of advice would yougive them about following their dreams?
General AdviceFollow your gut.
Strive to be different.
Don’t expect results overnight.
Mental Health AdviceExercise.
Talk to people about how you’re feeling, you never know
who might be able to provide the advice you need.
Seeing a therapist and/or taking a pill does not make you
weak and is nothing to be embarrassed about.
Don't compromise your own values or your enjoyment ofthe process for the outcome.
Go for walks regularly.
Make sure you value and maintain relationships with thosein your community.
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WATCH ‘GO WITH U’ >
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The road tosuccessisnever straight.- HashtagOz
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AUSTRALIAN BAND FROM SYDNEY
After making a solid impact withtheir debut single, ‘StormyWeather’, Sydney’s Forces & Furyreturn with another searing righthook punch, in new single, ‘WatchIt Burn’. Featuring vocalist Stacey
Stellar, the song sees Forces & Fury (KatAyala and Astrid Holz) explore intensealternative-indie sounds, as the duo’s songwriting dynamic continues to flourish.
The lure of desire and excitement oftemptation and risk forms the foundation of‘Watch It Burn’, with rumbling notes courtesyof the rhythmic bass lines and guitarsproviding an intoxicating atmosphere for thelistener to immerse themselves in.
‘Watch It Burn’, is our darkestand most intense song yet. It’s
about desire, and the willingness torisk everything in order to acquire the objectof that passion. You’ll hear our signatureheavy drums, eerie synths, driving basslines, layers of effect-heavy guitars, plus asearing solo at the bridge.” Forces & Fury.
An honest and direct representation of theduo’s strength as musicians and productionminds, ‘Watch It Burn’ may be the band’sdarkest single yet, however the jammingnature of the song exemplifies the ease ofwhich Holz and Ayala bounce music off oneanother. Having established a formidablecareer in Sydney with RACKETT, Forces &
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Fury has become a fresh avenue of music forthe duo to embark upon, and the resultsthus far have proven to be equal partsdetailed and exciting.
“With a heavy driving bassline and simple,yet huge sounding drums, this particulartrack is strongly influenced by our obsessionwith 90s trip-hop. The track has a dark,almost creepy and foreboding tone to it,created by soaring whale-song synths andsmooth guitar lines with plenty of washingreverb and delay.” Forces & Fury.
Keep an eye on this dynamicduo and check out theirYouTube video, Watch it Burn.
yWATCH WATCH IT BURN >
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SleepyLizard
A u s t r a l i a n B a n d f r o m A d e l a i d e
From the beginning of their new single ‘Can’t Help It’,Sleepy Lizard seduces. With their 70’s ballad throwbackvibes and masterful hold on melody, the young five-piece band , made up of Bill Meegan Ayden Aba, NickBart, Dion Carbone and Olivia Bozzon have returnedwith their catchiest effort yet.
yWATCH CAN’T HELP IT >
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Hashtag Oz caught up with Sleepy Lizard.
Tell us how you got together as aband. What were some of the
coolest memories early in yourrelationship as a band? What surprisedyou the most about your journey in themusic industry?
Basically I just started making music onmy computer in 2014 and once I hadenough songs, I put a band together.
We’ve had some lineup changes over theyears, but we are pretty solid these days.
Some of our earliest shows were greatfun. I used to wear some really wackycostumes. That’s settled down in recenttimes. Some outfits included: leopardprint pants, a full cowboy costume andfake facial hair.
I’ve always been surprised by the numberof my friends who continue to support theband by coming to our shows. Shout outto them!
What were some of your biggestchallenges you had to overcome
as a band? What did these challengesteach you about where you were at inyour musical journey and how havethey added value to your present?
Some of our previous members havemoved interstate, so finding newmusicians to fill their roles has beentough. It really makes you think about thesongs when you have to teach them tonew people. Often this makes you seethings in them that you wouldn’t haverealised otherwise.
This process definitely makes the songsstronger as you often change parts thatmight not have been working.
It’s interesting to see what differentmusicians bring to the table.
Tell us the story behind your stagename, Sleepy lizard?
Basically I wanted to come up with a bandname that didn’t imply a particular genreor vibe.
One day, someone said there was a sleepylizard in the garden at home and I thoughtthat could be a cool band name. I like thatit’s Australian, as Sleepy Lizards are nativeto here. It also reminds me of the name,Tame Impala, which I think is cool.
Congratulation on the release ofsingle, ‘Can’t Help It’. ‘Can’t Help It’
is about breaking up and being in thatin between stage of knowing we shouldmove on but feel emotionally stuck topull ourselves out of the suffocatingbinds of blind love. Musical lyrics canhave a powerful therapeutic effect onus. How do you want, ‘Can’t Help It’ tobe experienced? What do you think isthe best time to listen to, Can’t Help it?When you’re mad, upset, or sad?
I think it would be cool to hear whendealing with a break up. Maybe you’redriving in your car and it comes on theradio, super loud. I think in that situationyou’d feel like the track is speaking to you,which is a bit creepy, lol.
Hopefully it could help someone, andmake them feel a little bit better, knowingthey’re not alone.
Hashtag Oz is passionate aboutmental health awareness.
what three pieces of advicewould you give upcomingsingers/songwriters/musiciansin following their dreams?
1. Try and make your life asnormal as possible outside ofmusic as the industry can bereally surreal, so it’s a goodidea to have balance.
2. Don’t get sucked into theidea that you need to partyhard to be a musician. we’veseen so many greats lose theirlives to drugs and alcohol.
3. Don’t give up!
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- Tilman J. Fertitta
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GOSHFusing colourful melodies withyearning indie-rock vocals,
GOSH are back with a new singlethat is ready to pull heartstringsand encourage anthemic sing-alongs with their latest offering,
‘Never Lose You’.
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Hashtaag Oz caught up with the five piece band- Zachary Gervaise (Vocals), Mitchell Cable(Guitar), Matt Harvey (Guitar), Nick Elliot(Drums) and Xavier Lardner (Bass).
Thank you for being a part of Hashtag Ozand congratulations on the release of‘Say Another Thing’ which is about thecrippling effects of consumerism upongenerations. What impact do you hopethat ‘Say Another Thing’ has upon yourfans and listeners? How do you thinkthis behaviour plays out in relationships,society and within ourselves?
Say Another Thing is about standing up for whatyou believe is right, not being conditioned intotrusting in faceless corporate entities, andquestioning things you’re gently being told not to.
We hope, if anything, that it causes people toquestion the world around them, how we got tothe stage that we have, and what they can do asan individual to change things they don’t likethat would be for the betterment of society.
What are the greatest challengesgrowing up in a consumer society?
Should we be concerned about it?
I think the biggest challenge of growing up in aconsumer society is not being comfortable in it.
It’s become so ingrained in the lives of somany fromsuch an early age that it’s very easy to completelytake the issue for granted and not question thewaytheworld around us has become.
I think it’s definitely something to be concernedabout!
Consumerism is inherent to so much of the worldthat the issue is unchallenged, and as such isapathetically accepted as a norm.
Tell us the story behind your stage name,GOSH?
To be honest I wish there was a story to that one,haha.
Band names are the worst!
The story behind Gosh is actually as uneventfulas it gets… We needed a name and there weren’tany good suggestions. So then I just thought ofGosh, suggested it in a group chat, and we allagreed upon it pretty quickly.
Hashtag Oz is passionate about mental health awareness. For upcomingbands what three pieces of advice would you give them in following theirdreams?
Treat it as that – a dream where you are playing music that you love. Anythingelse is a bonus.
That being said, know your strengths, have goals to achieve, and don’t be afraidof getting help in areas where you discern you have weaknesses. Keep itdreamy for yourself as the creator and performer by getting other people onboard to do a better job with the bits you do begrudgingly. Themore of yourbrain’s energy you can focus onmaking the best music possible, the better.
If it’s really your dream then work hard for it. Bands that work the hardest tendto get further. If you play and create more you’ll get better, never forget it.
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N EW S I N G L EVAST
HILLReturning to further romance and
intoxicate us with their dreamy sounds,Vast Hill has released a new single in‘Oblivion’. It is the second strong release
from the duo in a short amount of time, with ‘Oblivion’coming in hot off the back of their popular debut,‘Heartbreaker’, earlier this year. Set to feature on theirdebut album, More Than You Imagined, ‘Oblivion’ is asong that dives deep into relationship woes andpersonal struggle.
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Hashtag Oz caught up with Vast Hill.
Thank you for being a part of Hashtag Oz.
Congratulations on the release of your single andvideo, ‘Oblivion’. Vast Hill is quoted as sayingabout ‘Oblivion’, “‘Oblivion’ is about the struggleof being in a relationship well past its ‘due-date’.You’re both exhausted, fighting over every littlething and just as its about to be let go, you bothunwillingly decide [to] give it another go. There’salso that moment when you just sit there waitingand hoping for that old feeling to come back.”.What is the difference between a relationship thatis going through a bad patch due to growing andchanging and a relationship that is in fact staringat its due-date?
Well, the song itself is based on a narrative whichwe constructed as part of the concept for,MoreThan You Imagined (our upcoming album). So, itisn’t based on any scenario we are in at themoment, but I’m sure we’ve all been there.
I guess, knowing when a relationship has run it’scourse, comes from a feeling you get in your gut.You’re kinda forcing yourself to like this personand no matter what you or they do you just know“this isn’t the person I want to grow old with”.And even with that knowledge you just don’t acton it for months or even years!
Tell us about your band name. How did you comeup with it? How did you get together as a band?
It’s a funny one and we’ve only told a couple ofpeople and I think this will be the first time it’sgoing in print but we actually sat down one nighttrying to come up with band names.
It was driving us crazy. So, we jokingly suggestedVast Hill because it was the password that camewith our Telstra Modem. We liked names with Z Xor V so we thought, "Yeah, why not?" So, we're aproduct of Telstra... Sorry, everyone.
We got together after our other band fizzled out(The Electric Vogues), and we wanted to get backto working in a small team and not really needingto do rehearsals to write newmaterial. It workedfor us because we live together and just startedplaying with our type of 60s influencedsongwriting with “synth” elements on top.
Your music also has an 80s influence. Whatkey qualities, in your opinion, makes 80smusic so appealing decades later?
We both grew up on 80s tunes (even thoughwe’re 90s kids), but I think there is somethingpretty cutting edge about it because it was thefirst decade where bands mashed togethersynths and real instruments. I mean, the 70sis where it technically started, but the 80smade it affordable, and every band could do itafter that.
I think a large part of the appeal is mainly dueto the nostalgia that cuts across so manydifferent forms of media that people grew upwith, but I also think that it’s great to justtake elements of that influence andmodernize it.
If you had the power to summarise life in oneparagraph, what would your paragraph say?
It’s hard to say really, because we feel likewe’re not long enough in the game to have anopinion, but so far it would be:
Where the hell does all this dog fur keepcoming from?
Hashtag Oz is passionate about mental
health awareness. The music industry can
be tough. What three tips would you give
to upcoming bands to support them
through the challenges of the Music
Industry? What worked for you?
1. Never compare your band’s success with
someone else’s. Everybody has their own
race to run, otherwise it would just be a
world full of clone bands and creatives.
2. Find yourself something to be creative
with other than music. We’ve been
inspired by plenty of things outside of
music – it helps you think more clearly.
3. Take a risk and be feel comfortable
with your material. Make what come
naturally. The best art is made when you
don’t think too much about what people
think of your stuff.
yWATCH ‘OBLIVION’ >
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“If only I could stay the night as a friend, ifonly we could live no regrets…”
The last lines of Monsoon Moon’s debut hangheavy. The single, ‘Just Friends’ is a strongoffering about whether impulsive decisions proveto be the best ones. From the artist formerlyknown and beloved as Command Q, ‘JustFriends’ is the tip of an iceberg of music from theWA musician who is stirringand ready to go.
Throwing himself deeper intomusic and songwriting afterwrapping up the Command Qproject in 2017, MonsoonMoon (aka Shaun Pickett)presents a new facet of hisartistry with this new project.
Hashtag Oz caught up withMonsoon Moon..
Thank you for being a part of Hashtag Oz.Tell us a little about yourself, starting with yourartist name. How did that come about and whatdoes it mean to you, as an artist?
Artist names are impossible!
It’s always been one of the daunting anddifficult tasks of establishing your identity.
Amongst the hundreds of artist names I hadbrainstormed with friends,Monsoon Moon felt right. It’sbroody, astral and evokes aperception of surrealism. Andmost importantly, no one else inAustralia had taken the name atthe time (2.5 years ago). Funnilyenough, by the time I releasedthe debut track, another bandhad already emerged callingthemselves Monsoon Moon. Ohwell. Too late to turn back now ;)
Congratulations on your single,Just Friends. Its vulnerability and raw honesty isinspiring. Music has a bonding effect becauseof the shared experiences of what it means tobe human. How do you experience the humanjourney as reflected in your music? do you find
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MONSOONMOONSinger/songwriter from Perth, Western Australia
Music for me is anextension of myimagination. It’s like afilm set I disappearinto. I’m the director,the actor, the stage.
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that music has a way of making sense of thehuman journey or do you think in itsinterpretation of the human journey, itcomplicates it?
Music for me is an extension of my imagination.It’s like a film set I disappear into. I’m thedirector, the actor, the stage. Occasionally thefilm set started because something in my lifeinspired me. But largely, the music and the lyricsare bread crumbs I followed down a rabbit hole.If I sing about having my heart ripped out, itlikely didn’t happen in real life because almostnone of my lyrics are telling my life stories. And Idon’t believe in any way that that makes themusic dishonest, we all love reading books withour favourite heroes or fantizising about beingsuperman when we were kids. That’s what musicis still like for me. The deeper I dive the more Ifeel like I’m really that character in the song. Ibelieve when people share music they take onthe persona of the artist for a brief time. We getsucked in by the beauty and power of music andthe passion of the artist.
Some people think it’spossible to be justfriends. Others do not.What message do youwant your fans to getfrom ‘Just Friends’? Howdo you want your fans toexperience ‘JustFriends’?
l think it’s possible to bejust friends. I’ve alwaysbeen able to do it,however the other partyhas to be comfortablewith this too, and that’swhen negotiating romantic feelings can becometricky. The best advice I would want others totake on is to be communicative. I absolutelyLOVE forward honesty. If someone straight upsays, “Hey I have feelings for you now, lets talkabout it”, my respect for them goes through theroof! It allows me to understand how they feeland find the best path to keep each other happyand mentally healthy.
What was the decision behind moving fromAustralia to UK? How has the move supportedyour journey?
I was tired of touring as a bass DJ in Australia andsomething inside me desperately wanted to flip theworld upside down. When I moved to the UK Ithought breaking into the music scene would behard, but manageable.
I quickly realised it’s one of the hardest climates inthe world for an artist, not too mention the ghastlyweather. After 13 months in the UK it almostdestroyed my career, so I made the practicaldecision to move back to Perth where I felt happyand most creative. I’m not suited to life in the UKand now my love for Australia has never beenstronger. I’ll never regret moving there and thelessons it taught me, and hopefully and I’ll neverforget to keep appreciating Perth and everything itprovides.
In what way do you think its necessary for a singeror band to expand their wings and go abroad?What are the benefits? What are the drawbacks?How did you have to adapt to the English cultureprofessionally?
Ah, this is a question I feel so many young artistsdo not take seriously. DONOT MOVE ABROADunless you are successful inyour home town or have awell thought out plan for thenext 2-5 years. Home townsuccess is vital. If you can’tconvince your family andfriends to believe in you orsupport you, how are yougoing to persuade strangersin a foreign country tosupport you? It’s animportant conversation thatI’ve had with plenty of
artists. A majority of the Australian artists I met inEngland either moved back, were going to moveback or didn’t find success through their music.And that may sound quite discouraging, so pleasedon’t let me dissuade you from exploring the worldand sharing its wonders. However, if you thinkmoving overseas is what will bring you success,sadly it’s not how the world works. London is avery difficult music scene to break into, andeveryone who already lives there has a big headstart on you.
Home town success is vital. Ifyou can’t convince your family
and friends to believe orsupport you, how are you goingto persuade strangers you’venever met, in a foreign country
to support you?
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Hashtag Oz is passionate about mental health awareness. For
upcoming artists what three pieces of advice would you give
them in following their dreams?
Have days off. Not only is the human brain not equipped for
constant work, but special things happen when we are away from
our instruments and computers. e.g. epiphanies, new
understandings, quality time spent with friends and family.
Find people who provide quality feedback and hold onto them!
Finding good feedback can be hard and you might find many
people give poor critiques. Not everyone is gifted at giving musical
feedback so try not to get hung up on criticisms that aren’t
helping. There are unicorns out there who give us great feedback
that can save hours of wasted time and headaches. Treat those
unicorns with respect and reward them for their priceless efforts.
Don’t be fake. Seriously. Everyone is exhausted from the“Fake it til
you make it” attitude from artists. We’re humans who make music,
not gods. Nobody is going to think poorly of you for just chilling
the F out and being yourself. I’ve simply refused to work with some
artists because I don’t trust their abilities and personality. That in
turn has been very counterproductive for them. If they were just
honest with themselves from the start, I would be far more inclined
to work with them or help them. Don’t deceive people, don’t blow
yourself up, check your ego, and look after one another. We all
need to support each other.
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Your mind does not alwaysunderstand reality.You are never alone.Look. This truth surrounds you.- Hashtag Oz
Gratitude isn’t just about saying thankyou out loud, it’s about not takingpeople or things for granted. It’s what
you show by your actions, not just yourwords.
Sometimes people are quick to take all thecredit when things go right, forgetting thecontributions of others. They focus onthemselves, their goals. They feel like theyearned everything they haveon their own, so what do theyhave to be grateful for? Butdid they really?
Recognizing thecontributions of others toyour accomplishments doesn’tdiminish what you’ve done.You are entitled to feelproud. Take credit for yourwork. Honour the fact that yougot off the couch and chose to accomplishsomething. But remember you don’t live in avacuum. There is nothing we have, or do,that someone else didn’t have a hand insomehow.
People who never show gratitude or
recognize the contributions of others to theirsuccess are hard people to live or work with. Asense of entitlement doesn’t do anyone anyfavours, and people who have that attitude willnot receive the support that they could have hadif they cultivated a humbler approach to life. Idon’t know about you, but when I hear of aperson who doesn’t show respect to others, I loseall interest in their art.
What if what drove you wasovercoming a problem, or yourneed to prove yourself ?
It’s easy to be grateful for thegood things, but gratitude for
hardships and struggle is just asimportant. Sometimes the factthat you came up in roughcircumstances, or you personally
hit rock bottom, is what made itpossible for you to take a stand and
decide what you want in your life going forward.It can refine us if we let it, much like gold in acrucible. Don’t stew resentfully on things fromthe past, take pride in learning from them andmoving forward. You’ll find yourself moreconfident and optimistic about the future whenyou concentrate on how your experiences have
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KNOW YOUR VALUES
GRATITUDE“Showing gratitude is one
of the simplest yet most
powerful things humans can
do for each other.”
- Randy Pausch
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benefited you and how you can use thatknowledge.
Have you thought about keeping agratitude journal? Every day write downthree things you’re grateful for. Differentthings. Small, large, doesn’t matter.Granted, some days you’ll really scratchyour head to find something. Did yourbarista make your coffee exactly the wayyou like it?
Did your boss praise your work? Did afriend make you laugh when youdesperately needed a pick-me-up? Did thatawful printer work right the first time foronce? Keep in mind who you can thanktoday. You don’t have to make it a big deal,but tell people thank you every day, evenwhen they’re doing you a service they’regetting paid for. The reaction you get fromthem will show you they don’t hear thatoften, sad as that is. Don’t take people forgranted.
You’ll find that practicinggratitude strengthens yourrelationships, grounds youemotionally, and helps youview life with greateroptimism and resiliency. Itwill make your world abetter place and it will helpyou to make someone else’sworld a better place as well.
26Photo © Heleno Kaizer | Unsplash
SEE YOU INSEPTEMBER
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Hashtag Oz recognises heoutstanding support of BeyondBlue, The Butterfly Foundationand The Aaron Foundation insupporting and promotingmental health in Australia.
If your organisation supports andpromotes mental health, contact
us now at:
to find out how yourorganisation’s contact details canbe published with each issue of
Hashtag Oz.
The Aaron Foundation
The Aaron foundation assists homeless
or at risk youth and supports them to
gain employment and re-entering
society.
It also is leading a literacy program in
Ethiopia to combat poverty.
To get involved visit
www.theaaronfoundation.org
www.beyondblue.org.au
thebutterflyfoundation.org.au
